The recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi saw Babar Azam achieve a milestone, scoring a hundred that broke a long period of 807 days and 83 international innings without a century. This feat earned the batter high praise from former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja, who commended his patience even while facing intense scrutiny over his inability to consistently perform. Raja further shared that Azam had privately voiced his frustrations to him during a recent meeting.
“I recently met him at a cafe, where he shared his disappointment about the criticism and personal remarks he has received regarding his position in the team and his performances,” Ramiz said.
The ex-chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conveyed a single message to Babar: “Keep doing what you’ve been doing, stay patient, exercise self-control, and avoid reacting to outside distractions. Your main responsibility as a player is to focus on performing well on the field,” he said.
“I was delighted to see him back in form, especially with his century against Sri Lanka.” Ramiz expressed his admiration for Babar’s approach of choosing not to react to the various criticisms aimed at him across different platforms.
In 2021, Ramiz was serving as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board when Babar Azam was appointed as captain across all three formats.
His admiration for Babar’s batting skills is well recognized. Ramiz mentioned that Babar shouldn’t be concerned about his strike rate, emphasizing that he is a talented and elegant player in both Tests and ODIs.
“He possesses all the shots and is a pleasure to watch, even when he defends. He shouldn’t be concerned about his strike rate. His main focus should be on batting for a longer duration,” he said.